Latest Offenders Swindon

Description

A man from Swindon has pleaded guilty to being a ‘Global Moderator’ on a dark website dedicated to the sharing of child sexual abuse content.

Saunders Custody ImageBrett Saunders, 50, came to the attention of the National Crime Agency as part of an investigation into the hidden site, which had over 2,000 members and is only accessible using Tor.

The NCA focused on a moderator with the username ‘Wetty’, who was heavily involved in running the site. Wetty took responsibility for enforcing the site’s rules and responding to user enquiries, providing advice around personal security and how to evade law enforcement detection.

Saunders was identified as the man behind the account and further enquiries revealed he had previous convictions relating to the sexual exploitation of children.

NCA officers arrested Saunders at his home in Freshbrook in August 2022. A number of his devices were seized, including his laptop which he had hidden under a sofa cushion, and a phone and hard drive found by special search officers concealed in an air vent.

The website was open on his laptop and Saunders was logged into his account. When interviewed, he confirmed to officers that he held the rank of Global Moderator and had himself uploaded indecent images of children to the site.

He also admitted he had a sexual interest in children, particularly girls aged 8-12.

Investigators recovered data relating to his account, including over 3,000 posts made by him and private messages he sent to other users, which evidenced that his contribution was key to ensuring the site continued to function.

These also made it clear that Saunders had quickly risen through the ranks due to his commitment and encouragement of others to discuss and distribute images and videos of child sexual abuse.

When congratulated by another user on his promotion to Global Moderator he said:

“Thank you… I must say it came as a bit of a shock to me! Not sure what I did to deserve the honor, but whatever it was I will try to keep doing it to the best of my abilities!”

The site was run on a points-based system where users gained ‘reputation points’ for adhering to the rules and sharing abuse material. It had an initial guest portal, where new users had to gain at least 10 reputation points before they were admitted entry to the main site.

Saunders was in charge of running the guest portal and was responsible for issuing or deducting reputation points, as well as ultimately deciding who would be allowed through.

Saunders uploaded a total of 115 images and videos of abuse to the site. He posted two such images of a young girl as part of a discussion around the legalisation of pre-teen marriage, along with the caption:

“If only it were possible. I would wish for it if I found a magic lamp….and for her to stay about this age (10-12) forever (and me my age)!!”

A further 65,000 files relating to indecent images of children were recovered from his devices.

In the days after his arrest, Saunders was charged by Wiltshire Police for breaching the sexual harm prevention order that had been placed on him by the force when he was released from prison for his previous offending.

He was remanded in custody and later sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for the breach.

Last year, he was charged with a further nine counts, including arranging/facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group, distributing and making indecent images of children in categories A-C, and possessing a prohibited image of a child.

On Friday (19 January) at Swindon Magistrates Court he pleaded guilty to all nine counts. He will be sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on 5 March 2024.

Description

A Swindon man molested a teenage boy while managing a restaurant.

61-year-old Carl Brown was running Jack’s, in Victoria Road, Old Town, when he sexually assaulted the youngster at the establishment in 2022.

The defendant was found guilty at his trial at Swindon Magistrates’ Court in September 2023, before returning for sentencing on 4 January this year.

At a previous hearing, prosecutor Asha Seenauth said he grabbed the boy’s penis and put his finger into his bottom over his clothing.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order, which includes 30 rehabilitation activity days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was told to pay £300 compensation to the victim, and pay £620 costs and a £95 surcharge.

Brown, of Highworth Road, must register as a sex offender for five years.

Description

A predatory offender has been jailed for life with a minimum of 10 years after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl.

Steven Cozens, 42, of Swindon, initially pleaded not guilty to sexual assault of a child under 13, causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, possession or making indecent images of children and possession or making of prohibited images.

During the trial, Cozens changed his plea to guilty.

In a hearing at Swindon Crown Court on December 8, Cozens was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 10 years.

He is also subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) indefinitely.

The court heard how in July 2021, the victim’s grandmother – who knew of the defendant – arrived home one day to find Cozens working in her garden unsolicited.

Cozens then took advantage of the grandmother and ingratiated himself with her, visiting the house regularly.

He was occasionally left alone with the victim which is when the abuse took place.

After the victim, now aged 10, bravely disclosed details about the abuse, her grandmother submitted a Sarah’s Law (Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme) request to Wiltshire Police, which allows the police to share information about sex offenders.

She was then contacted by officers from the Force and Cozens was arrested the following day.

Investigating officer Robert Sweeney said: “These are horrific crimes committed by Cozens when he was trusted by the victim’s grandmother.

“Despite the overwhelming evidence discovered on his phone, Cozens initially pleaded not guilty which forced the young victim to be put through the trauma of a trial.

“Thankfully he has then changed his plea, but not before the young victim was required to give evidence herself.

“I would like to commend her for the bravery she has shown right from the beginning of this traumatic ordeal.

“I am pleased Cozens has been given a life sentence which reflects the awful nature of his crimes.

Description

A man told two ‘young girls’ to tie their feet together during sex chats.

29-year-old David Holberry was arrested after a paedophile hunting group conducted a ‘sting’ in Salisbury back in 2021.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (5 October), he pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said that the defendant had been speaking to fake profiles set up by the paedophile hunters – who he believed were young girls, under the age of 16.

During the sexualised conversations, he told both ‘girls’ to bind their feet and put socks in their mouth.

Duty solicitor Liz Highams told the court that was was “concerned about Mr Holberry’s mental health”, but confirmed that understands proceedings and has capacity.

The defendant, of Whitworth Road, Swindon, was told to register as a sex offender at Gablecross Police Station within 72 hours.

Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until 27 November. He was released on unconditional bail.

Description

A McDonald’s supervisor ‘grabbed and squished’ the breasts of the young trainee, a court heard.

Shift boss Geary Fernandes sexually assaulted the teenage girl in a freezer at one of the fast food chain’s restaurants in Swindon in December last year.

The 34-year-old, of Warneford Close, Toothill, denied the offence and claimed it was an accident – but was convicted at trial on 10 August.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday), prosecutor Tom Power said that the girl turned around after she felt hands on her waist.

Now facing Fernandes, “her breasts were grabbed and squished by the defendant”.

He asked the victim to stay and work additional hours, but she refused. When her mother arrived to collect her from work, she disclosed the assault.

Mr Power said that since the incident, the girl has suffered with anxiety at night, is insecure and struggles to stand near boys.

The court heard that the father-of-one – who is assessed as a medium risk of sexual reoffending – is expecting his second child in December, and is also a step-father to two other children.

Emma Hillier, defending, said that her client is unemployed as a result of his conviction – claiming benefits as his pregnant partner works a low-paid part-time job “to get by”.

She encouraged the magistrates to impose a community order or suspended sentence because the “impact [of immediate custody] would be massive”.

Ms Hillier said Fernandes is hoping to get back into work and he is exploring his options with the probation service. She said his operations are limited as a sex offender.

Whilst the defendant maintains his innocence, his lawyer said that he “accepts he was found guilty of this offence” and has “struggled to come to terms with it”.

Ms Hillier said that his partner and the father of his step-children are aware of his crime.

She said that Fernandes has no family or support in this country and his family live in Goa.

Magistrates imposed a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and must complete 40 rehabilitation activity days. He was told to pay £620 costs and a £154 surcharge.

Fernandes will remain as a registered sex offender for seven years. On 9 October, the same court will consider whether or not to impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In a statement released following his conviction at trial, Wiltshire Police investigator Tina Willison said: “I want to commend the victim for coming forward and speaking to us about this incident, and for then speaking about it in court.

“She has shown remarkable bravery and I’m pleased it has resulted in a guilty verdict for Fernandes today.

“Fernandes clearly took advantage of his position as supervisor of the branch, abusing his position of trust by preying on a new member of staff.

“He waited until they were alone in the freezer section and sexually assaulted her, before lying to defend himself, claiming the contact wasn’t deliberate.

“We will always take reports like these seriously and victims will always be listened to.

“If you have a been a victim of a rape or sexual assault, please get in touch with us on 101. In an emergency, call 999.”

Description

A man from Swindon has been found guilty of multiple counts of raping a young girl during a "horrific" and "traumatic ordeal". Matthew Vandross, 30, of Homington Avenue, was found guilty by a jury following a five-date trial at Salisbury Crown Court of raping a child under the age of 13 four times.

The offences took place between October 2020 and May 2021 and Wiltshire Police said the victim was under 10 years old when she reported the incidents to the police, accompanied by a friend who had seen what she had been through. Detective Constable Mel Neal, from the Child Abuse Investigation Team, said Vandross had abused the victim in the "worst and most horrific way".

DC Neal added a personal tribute to the two children involved for "extreme bravery and courage beyond their years", despite their ordeal. "Working within the Child Abuse Investigation Team, we come to work every day to protect people like these two girls and secure some form of justice for them," she added.

Vandross is due to be sentenced on November 15. He was found guilty of sexual assault by touching, 21 counts of digital penetration and four charges of rape of a child under 13.

DC Neal said: "Since the beginning of this investigation, we have worked closely with partner agencies to ensure the victims in this case received the appropriate support and safeguarding they required. This predatory offender took advantage of a vulnerable child and abused her in the worst and most horrific way. Not only that, but he made horrific threats towards her if she dared report his offending to police.

"I would like to personally pay tribute to the two children involved in this case – it is thanks to their bravery that we secured a successful prosecution. Both girls have shown extreme bravery and courage beyond their years, despite enduring such a traumatic ordeal. Working within the Child Abuse Investigation Team, we come to work every day to protect people like these two girls and secure some form of justice for them.

"I would urge anyone who has been a victim of sex abuse to report it to police – no matter how much time has passed since the offences took place. We are committed to targeting dangerous offenders like Vandross and will do everything we can to ensure they are put before the courts."

Description

A Swindon man secretly filmed a woman naked – leaving his victim fearful, a court heard.

50-year-old Mark Bowyer was ordered to register as a sex offender after he admitted committing an act of voyeurism, which left his victim depressed and anxious.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court today (Monday), in a highly unusual move prosecutor Tom Power failed to outline the case in open court – meaning little is known about the exact nature of the offending.

Having ignored the principle of open justice, Wiltshire 999s made a successful application to the court to obtain documents pertaining to Bowyer’s crime, but they have not yet been provided.

During the hearing, the victim – bravely reading out her impact statement in court – said she has installed security lights around her property and fears what he might be capable of.

She told of how she often stays awake at night and is now medicated for depression and anxiety. She said the incident has had a “significant impact” on her emotional wellbeing.

“I don’t want him to do it to anyone else… I want him to know he can’t get away with this”, she said.

Barrister Rachael Stitt, defending, said that Bowyer offers his apologies to his victim and the court.

She said the the defendant may lose his job if he has to register as a sex offender and urged the bench not to follow the pre-sentence report to avoid that.

A series of character references were provided to the magistrates, including one from his son who described him as a “kind, caring and respectful man”.

A friend said Bowyer is an “inspiration” and told of how he – many years ago – saved a female from domestic violence by shielding her and taking her to hospital, saving her eyesight.

Accepting his “genuine remorse”, magistrates imposed an 18-month community order. He was told to complete 50 rehabilitation activity days and given a mental health treatment requirement.

The defendant, of High Street, Old Town, was also fined just over £1,900 and ordered to register has a sex offender for five years. He’ll also pay a court surcharge.

Description

A girl who a Royal Wootton Bassett man ‘wanted to abuse’ was actually an undercover cop.

Pietro Rossi was communicating with a profile on the internet chat room CHATiw – who claimed to be a 13-year-old female – between 27 April and 1 June 2020.

Robin Shellard, prosecuting, told Salisbury Crown Court today (Friday) that the 60-year-old sent numerous pictures of his erect penis and pornography showing females engaged in oral sex.

He continued to conversation on the messaging app Kik, where he told the ‘girl’ he wanted to sexually abuse her and requested what he called “naughty pictures” of her bottom.

The defendant also said he wished she was playing with his penis and asked her sexualised questions, including about whether or not she had digitally penetrated herself before.

However, Rossi later discovered that he was actually talking to an undercover officer from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit – when police arrived at his door with a warrant on October 2021. His partner, stepchildren and grandchildren resided at the address with him.

The defendant, of Ruxley Close, Royal Wootton Bassett, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child back in June when the case first came to court.

“This is a man whose behaviour is very, very out of character with what appears to be his usual self”, defence barrister Christopher Pix said.

In pre-conference ahead of sentencing, Rossi said “I want to say sorry, I don’t know who to say it to, I am just very, very sorry”, according to Mr Pix.

He said his client has a “great deal of remorse” and was having a “breakdown” at the time of the offending due to the ending of an abusive marriage and his highly stressful job.

Judge Barnett imposed a 12-month prison sentence – but suspended it for 18 months so that Rossi can get the help he “badly needs”.

He said that his personal life issues were “no excuse” to commit this crime, stating the he was “trying to get images from a person you thought was a child” – adding that it was “plainly deliberate”.

The judge told Rossi to complete 45 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 80 hours of unpaid work in the community and imposed a decade-long sexual harm prevention order. He’ll also have to register has a sex offender for ten years.

Description

A former assistant headteacher has been jailed for child sex offences in Cornwall.

75 year old Terence Burke - who now lives in Swindon -abused two teenagers in the early 2000s while he was the safeguarding lead at Falmouth School.

He's been sentenced to 18 years in prison this afternoon at Truro Crown Court and also placed on the sex offender's register.

The two women involved in the case have only been identified as Child A and Child B - 10 years of his sentence relate to offences committed against Child B, and the other 8 for offences against Child A.

In one of the victim's impact statements, she said 'No one should ever have to go through what he did to me.'

The judge noted in his summing up 'It is clear you abused your position... cont given your role as the safeguarding lead at the school, it is hard to think of a more serious breach of trust.'

Devon and Cornwall Police's investigative officer Detective Constable Isabelle Woodall said: “I am delighted by today’s outcome and sentence which I sincerely hope will bring a sense of justice to the victims.

“These were appalling offences committed against some of the vulnerable schoolgirls that Mr Burke, as assistant head teacher and safeguarding lead at Falmouth School, was tasked to protect, and constitutes a gross breach of trust.

“Today’s result is a testament to the bravery of the victims and witnesses who assisted with the investigation and attended court to give evidence.

“Whilst nothing will change the impact of this man’s offences on our victims, It is my hope that they will now be able to put these awful events behind them and move on with their lives.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Burke exploited his position of trust as an assistant head teacher to sexually abuse pupils who had been placed in his care. These crimes can have a devastating and long-term impact on the victims, and the women in this case have shown immense bravery in coming forward and reporting what happened.

“We hope that they are now getting all the support that they need, and they can find some comfort following Burke’s sentencing today. It is so important that anyone who has experienced sexual abuse knows who they can speak to and is confident they will be listened to.”

Description

An ex-soldier sent a teenage girl a naked photo of himself – and asked for one of her in return.

40-year-old Dean Bird pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child and was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court today (Tuesday).

Edward Hetherington, prosecuting, said the defendant had liked and commented on the 14-year-old’s selfies on her Instagram account numerous times in late 2020.

 In January 2021, he sent the girl a flame emoji – which is accepted as meaning you find someone ‘hot’ (attractive). She alerted a family member to the message and he took over the conversation.

Bird, who lives in Swindon and works as a scaffolder, said he needed a shower after a hard day and spoke about his military service.

During the exchange, the girl’s family member confirmed her age to the man. He proceeded to ask for a photograph, saying that he would not tell anyone about it.

Bird was sent a photograph containing the girl’s face. In response, he sent her a photograph of his legs followed by one of his erect penis. He went on to ask her for a naked photograph.

The family member downloaded a photograph of a naked adult woman from the internet and sent it to the defendant – and he responded “wow” with a smiling face emoji with stars in its eyes.

The family member – who knew Bird through a friend – attended his address, banging on his door and making threats. Police were called to the scene, and were shown evidence of his online behaviour.

The court heard that the former soldier, who was shot in the leg by the Taliban in Afghanistan, has previous convictions for dangerous driving and violence.

Chris Smyth, defending, said his client’s “mind was all over the place” at the time of the offending.

Adding that Bird suffers from mental health issues as a result of his military service. On a mission together, his best friend was shot and killed by the Taliban. On another, he was shot in the leg. He was medically discharged from the army more than ten years ago.

Mr Smyth said the defendant works as a scaffolder for various firms and lives alone in a two-bed rented flat after the recent ending of a ten-year relationship.

He also played rugby for Cheltenham up until 2021, has an interest in fishing and played ice hockey for Swindon Rec Wildcats Ice Hockey Team – where he was, at one point, a captain.

Judge Jason Taylor said he was confident Bird would not re-offend, imposing a two-year community order with the requirement to complete 175 hours of unpaid work.

He must also complete the Horizon sex offenders’ programme and 30 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service.

Bird was made subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order with eight terms – one of which prohibits him from communicating with under 18s unless there is a legitimate reason.

Description

A man has been charged with raping a teenage girl after paying for her sexual services.

27-year-old Jack Ball appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning (Wednesday).

He pleaded not guilty to the rape of a girl aged 13 and paying for the sexual services of a girl aged 13 – both alleged offences are said to have happened on the same date in 2021.

The defendant, of Kirkstall Close, Toothill, Swindon, was supported by two women who attended with him and watched the proceedings in the public gallery.

Natalie Cheesman, prosecuting, did not outline further details about the offences due to the fact a charge of rape can only be dealt with in a crown court.

The case was adjourned to Swindon Crown Court on 31 March for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Description

A Swindon man has been jailed after being found with more than 500 indecent images of children. Alun Eric Topp, 48, will spend just under three years behind bars after pleading guilty to multiple offences.

Topp, of Bexley Walk, Park South, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on February 3 to 32 months imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornographic images.

Wiltshire Police first received information to suggest that a Twitter account associated to a telephone number believed to belong to Topp had uploaded indecent images online. Officers attended Topp’s address shortly after and he was arrested.

Detective Constable Justine Parsons, from Wiltshire Police’s Child Internet Exploitation Team, said: “When Topp was arrested, a search was conducted of his home address and officers located 11 media devices which were seized for further analysis. One of these was found to contain illegal material.

"Following further extensive enquiries, a total of 542 category A images were found – this refers to images depicting the most serious child abuse.

“This case further highlights the ongoing work carried out by our team to identify offenders who not only access these images online, but also distribute them. I am pleased our extensive enquiries have resulted in a prison sentence for this offender.”

Description

A man who distributed indecent images of children must register as a sex offender.

Alun Topp pleaded guilty to seven offences – six of which related to youngsters – when he appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (4 January).

The 48-year-old admitted three counts of making an indecent image of a child between December 2010 and February 2022.

He also admitted three counts of distributing an indecent image of a child between September 2021 and February 2022.

A further charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image – namely depicting a person performing an act of intercourse with a live or dead unknown animal – was also accepted.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction over the case, sending it to Swindon Crown Court for sentence.

The defendant, of Bexley Walk, Park South, Swindon, will next appear on 3 February. He was released on unconditional bail.

Topp was ordered to register as a sex offender. The time he will spend on the register will be determined by the judge during his sentencing hearing.

Description

A convicted sex offender posed as a paediatric doctor and effectively manipulated three women into having relationships with him.

Jeremy van der Sanden was subject to a sexual harm prevention order that gave police the power to monitor his devices and that he must tell police if he got a new device, or stayed at a different address.

But Swindon Crown Court heard on Friday (July 29) that van der Sanden, of The Heights in Kingshill, posed as a doctor online to enter into a relationship with an unsuspecting woman.

He used a different name, itself a breach of notification requirements he was subject to.

Summing up, Judge James Townsend also said he posed as a woman to enter into a social media relationship.

You worryingly posed as a paediatric doctor and entered into a relationship with an unsuspecting woman, he told the defendant.

That posed a clear risk, not only to her but also because you could have come into contact with children.

The three people you have effectively manipulated have been badly affected by your deception.

I bear in mind that the offences on the face of them dont appear to be an effort to gain access to children.

But, the judge continued: A troubling feature of this case is in spite of the fact you have a highly supportive family, and in spite of the fact there has been intervention by the probation service, you have continued to offend.

The facts of these offences and the troubling contents of the pre-sentence report suggest you remain capable of manipulating people and I suspect to some extent you are a fantasist.

The court was also told that the 27-year-old had been subject to a community order for possession of Class A indecent images of children.

Van der Sanden had pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order, namely not notifying police of his address or new laptop, and three counts of breaching his notification requirements.

This included using an undisclosed name and staying at an address for more than seven days in a year and not notifying the police.

He was given a total sentence of 19 months imprisonment, which Judge Townsend said would be immediate.

The community order was revoked.

Van der Sanden will also be subject to a new sexual harm prevention order, under the same terms, that will last until May 2032.

Description

A SHOP worker has been jailed after she groomed a teenager into having sex with her.

Ellee Nicoll bought the girl presents, gave her money, called her pretty and paid other compliments before they declared their love for each other and engaged in sexual activity.

It was heard the now 25-year-old Walcot woman cultivated the relationship, engaging in months of sexting with the teen, and decided to watch a lesbian film with her to normalise what [she] wanted to happen.

It was not until the girls mother became concerned at how close the pair were and told the teenager what grooming may look like that the penny dropped, leading to her feeling sick about what had happened.

Sentencing her to immediate prison, Judge Jason Taylor QC said that alarm bells should have been ringing loud and clear in your mind, but you were seemingly tone death.

He acknowledged the victims mental health struggles and said that Nicoll must have realised what her grooming meant to her.

She was jailed for two years and two months.

Opening the case at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday (May 26), prosecutor Andrew Houston said that Nicoll, who works at a Swindon Co-Op, initially became friends with the girl, and that the victim looked up to her like a big sister.

But the relationship quickly changed, he said, with the victim making the first move to turn the conversation to sexting, and also sending her pictures of her naked and in underwear.

It was claimed that Nicoll sent pictures back, although this was disputed by the defence.

As time went on, messages recovered showed heavy sexual flirtation between the two, and associates of the defendant realised that the pair were touchy feely and that they would smack each other on the bottom.

Mr Houston said that Nicolls mother had warned her to stay away from the schoolgirl, but she ignored the warnings.

Events came to a head one night where the girls mother offered Nicoll a place to stay when she had a family disagreement, and not realising the closeness of the girls, said they could share a bed.

He told the court that they watched a lesbian film in bed, they then agreed to do stuff to each other.

In the following days, Nicoll described it as the best night of her life, and the victim said she had no regrets.

Mitigating, Gareth James said the offending was out of character and that it has had a devastating effect on her already.

She does seem to be a defendant who can properly and accurately be described as a vulnerable defendant herself and perhaps immature, and perhaps didnt think through the consequences of her actions, having effectively fallen for feelings she shouldnt have had, Mr James said.

He added that it has had a significant adverse impact on his clients mental health and she is voluntarily working to address this. He pleaded with Judge Taylor to impose a suspended sentence.

He said: Given the undoubted effect already upon Miss Nicoll and her concerns for her future problems and the work she has already undertaken on a voluntary basis, [this] demonstrates very clearly there is a significant prospect of rehabilitation.

Sentencing, Judge Taylor acknowledged that Nicoll did not set out to groom the girl, but that grooming occurred nonetheless.

When she sent you naked images of herself, the appropriate thing to do was gently say it is not appropriate. You didnt.

You had become so desensitised from her age it didnt give you pause for thought in the cold hard light of day.

No regrets for [the victim] turned to embarrassment, and by the time she was interviewed by police, she felt sick.

Sometimes teenagers just need to be protected from themselves.

Judge Taylor continued: Whilst female offending of this type is more unusual, it is no less serious. There is still a child victim who will be affected by what you did. Experience of the courts has shown this time and time again.

For that reason, even if the sentence had been within the range of being suspendable, I would have reluctantly said appropriate punishment could only be achieved by immediate imprisonment.

Having pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and sexual communication with a child, Nicoll, of Concord Walk, Walcot, was jailed for two years and two months.

A sexual harm prevention order was made for 10 years, as was a restraining order preventing her from contacting the victim.